Music to Run By
I am picking up running again as a habit. Last January in my "if I can't be pregnant I'll be skinny" mood, I went to a running store and got a real pair of running shoes. I'd been hobbling through some attempts at running in a pair of cross-trainers (bad idea), and Basil had just gotten me an iPod Shuffle for Christmas. I was ready to be more serious about this.
I started trying to run three times a week, using Saturdays to push myself farther or faster. By spring or summer, I was running ten miles a week - three miles twice a week and four miles on Saturdays - and was inspired to run the Washington Race for the Cure the first weekend in June with Kim. It just about killed me because it was so hot and I was barely able to do a 5K running the whole time. Kim was much faster than me but graciously ran with me until the last half a mile when I finally said, "Go ahead without me. I'll see you at the end." I didn't bring my iPod with me that day because I wasn't sure of race protocol and did I regret it.
I didn't go very fast that day but I was inspired. I kept running all summer and then in early September, Emma asked me to run a 5K with her in Georgetown. It was to be Emma's first race and I was ready for another one. This time I brought my Shuffle. I'm sure that the bigger difference was that I was in better shape and it was not so hot that morning, but the music definitely helped. I ran just under 31 minutes that day, which was a great speed for me and much better than the 36 minutes it had taken me to run Race for the Cure.
As Buzz recently discussed over at Florileguim Suburbanum (forgive the lack of hyperlinks; I am writing by Blackberry from a northbound Acela), the right music is really important. For me, in my regular running, it's especially important to have something to push me up a good hill (Janneys Lane from Taylor Run to MacArthur Elementary for the locals) towards the end of my run. Most of last year that song was the Black-Eyed Peas "Let's Get it Started" though Regina Spektor, Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani also had the honor for awhile. Right now, it is
Kanye West's "Jesus Walks" which I bought off iTunes.
I don't know how long Kanye will hang on to that spot, as I know snappy new summer tunes are not too far away. But I'm always amazed at how the right music can literally push me up a hill. Maybe this year I'll find something that will push me through a 10K.
I started trying to run three times a week, using Saturdays to push myself farther or faster. By spring or summer, I was running ten miles a week - three miles twice a week and four miles on Saturdays - and was inspired to run the Washington Race for the Cure the first weekend in June with Kim. It just about killed me because it was so hot and I was barely able to do a 5K running the whole time. Kim was much faster than me but graciously ran with me until the last half a mile when I finally said, "Go ahead without me. I'll see you at the end." I didn't bring my iPod with me that day because I wasn't sure of race protocol and did I regret it.
I didn't go very fast that day but I was inspired. I kept running all summer and then in early September, Emma asked me to run a 5K with her in Georgetown. It was to be Emma's first race and I was ready for another one. This time I brought my Shuffle. I'm sure that the bigger difference was that I was in better shape and it was not so hot that morning, but the music definitely helped. I ran just under 31 minutes that day, which was a great speed for me and much better than the 36 minutes it had taken me to run Race for the Cure.
As Buzz recently discussed over at Florileguim Suburbanum (forgive the lack of hyperlinks; I am writing by Blackberry from a northbound Acela), the right music is really important. For me, in my regular running, it's especially important to have something to push me up a good hill (Janneys Lane from Taylor Run to MacArthur Elementary for the locals) towards the end of my run. Most of last year that song was the Black-Eyed Peas "Let's Get it Started" though Regina Spektor, Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani also had the honor for awhile. Right now, it is
Kanye West's "Jesus Walks" which I bought off iTunes.
I don't know how long Kanye will hang on to that spot, as I know snappy new summer tunes are not too far away. But I'm always amazed at how the right music can literally push me up a hill. Maybe this year I'll find something that will push me through a 10K.
posted by merseydotes @ 12:13 PM
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